The third blog post I made on this site concerned one of the pictures I love from the same morning of the first light to hit the Upper Yosemite Falls in winter. When shooting these pictures I had the idea they would look amazing in black and white and so looked for the zones while shooting. Plus I didn’t want any highlights at the edges of the pictures. The really cool edge of light on the frost covered granite on the next to the falls is why I love these pictures.
The black and white horizontal version is a very good example of what you can do when you visualize a picture before shooting it. I saw this in clean, contrasty black and white. The texture of the frost with barely any light hitting it on the granite with the white (Zone 1) waterfall in the right hand 1/3 line of the frame works perfectly for me.
The color version shows what it looked like to my color seeing eyes. It takes practice visualizing black and white from color. Sometimes if you squint while looking or close your eyes and imagine a different look, you can learn how to see the idea you’re visualizing.
The color version isn’t half bad. It gives the idea of the water fall better because the vertical view focuses more on the water falling in front of the granite. HOWEVER, if you look just to the right of the waterfall about midway down the picture you’ll see a massive highlight pulling your eye outwards from the picture. The black and white also has the highlight, but next to it and outside is the pool of very dark Zone 9/10 on the edge. I like having the darker areas out near the edge when possible because it forces you to look at the brighter subject in towards the center.
So, the blacks and whites of the bottom picture work about 100 times better than the color version. I love the higher contrast look of some black and white pictures and this is one example. Perhaps I visualized this as a result of watching and rewatching the first part of Kill Bill Vol. II. The black and white of that section of the film is, to me, almost perfect black and white. Contrasty, with white whites and black blacks. Everything between Zone 0-3 and Zone 7-10.
It’s so funny to me writing so much for 2-6 readers. I’m thinking it’s someone I know already and so this news is known by them. Perhaps it just helps for me to write it down and get it out of my mind.
Whatever it may be, here’s the scoop: After going to the first appointment with the knee doctor and getting the x-ray, I had to go back for an MRI. Luckily it was my knee and not my chest needing an MRI. That clicking in the small space as the machine looks at different angles to get a 3D final view would perhaps be a new form of torture for me. I’m a person who absolutely positively cannot go into an igloo or ice cave. So being in a cave with loud clicks would suck.
I digress. There’s probably a good Shakespeare quote about sticking with the point - I’ll have to find it for future use.
Anyhoo, so the MRI comes back and the radiologist sends a message of what it means. My wife, a doctor, understands this jargon. Me? It’s like when the Peanut characters are listening to a teacher or adult speak. my “One Thing Too Many” hypothesis of modern living. (Should blog about this some other time)
So then I finally get back to the doctor and he says, “You need a full knee replacement.”
Yay!
Apparently 70% of my knee cartilage is gone and I’ve mostly been walking bone to bone for awhile. That would perhaps explain the excruciating pain.
It’s a three month recovery and I have a couple weddings between now and October. Not being able to go walking or backpacking in that time would be a good way to send me to an insane asylum. BUT! There’s a shot I can get in the knee that can help with walking, hiking, and backpacking for a couple months. So I’ll get one in March and then be good to grind the knee into dust before getting the operation.
For those curious what the shot is called I have right here next to me the brochure the good doctor gave me explaining what it is and does. It’s called Durolane and is the natural joint lubricant injected into the joint and allowing sort-of normal use for a couple months.